Development and investigation of ultrasound linear phased arrays for transrectal treatment of prostate

We used the rectangular radiator method as a numerical solution to the Rayleigh-Sommerfeld diffraction integral for calculating the acoustic fields produced by linear arrays. The appropriate phases and amplitudes of voltages applied to the elements were computed using the pseudo-inverse method. We have developed and acoustically evaluated several constructions of planar linear ultrasound phased arrays for transrectal thermotherapy of prostate diseases. The designs of the linear phased arrays used in this work were the result of compromise in terms of the choice of frequency and number and size of elements, in order to investigate a means of improving array performance which might lead to increased efficacy and safety of the thermal treatment. The results obtained are in agreement with the data of other studies and show that a linear plane phased array may be potentially useful for thermal therapy.